Our culture is your story - Christina Pullan

I can still remember the day a barrister came into my school to give a talk. I was twelve years old and it was the first time I had ever heard someone talk about a career in law. I did not know anybody who worked in the profession, I remember how much that barrister really loved his job and how excited he was to talk about his career with us. After that day I was inspired and my mind was made up, I was going to pursue a career in law.

The school I went to was not an affluent or prestigious school and was located in a poor socio-economic area, but I did not believe that would matter. The university I studied at had a brilliant practical course that integrated the LPC with my law degree in a really affordable way (which was important for me) and I did not believe that would matter either, unfortunately it did.

I remember sitting in front of a partner in charge of trainee recruitment as he told me that I was being rejected for a training contract at another firm because the university I went to was not good enough in his view. Fortunately a timely intervention from another partner at the same firm led to the overturning of that decision, but it was an eye-opening experience which made me realise the unnecessary hurdles (that unfortunately do sometimes still exist) that can get in the way and stop many talented people pursuing a career in our profession.

The standards required in law are high and I believe they should never drop, but recruiting people from different backgrounds with different life experiences helps build a much stronger team. 

I am proud to be a social mobility champion at Addleshaw Goddard. It is a topic close to my heart because I know only too well the disappointment of being overlooked due to an accent, a postcode, a previous employer or the perception of an institution.

We have a number of fantastic social mobility initiatives at the firm and one I am particularly passionate about is the Legal Explorers programme for 16-17 year olds. The programme is specifically for social mobility candidates and gives the students excellent exposure to what life is like at AG.

We mentor students interested in law for a year, provide online workshops and give them a week’s work experience in the firm to help them explore the possibility of a career in law. I know from working with students for the first two years of the programme how invaluable it is for them to get real life experience in a commercial law firm, something I could only have dreamed of when I was at school.

I nearly missed out on a job at a firm because someone did not think my education was good enough. At AG no one asks about my degree, people here are more interested in the work I am doing now rather than the path I took to get here and I am never ashamed to talk about my background, it’s one of many things I love about the firm.